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Leighton Library has 1698 First Edition of "A defence of dramatick poetry : being a review of Mr. Collier's View of the immorality & profaneness of the stage" by Edward Filmer, Thomas Rymer & Elkanah Settle
Added at 07:49 on 23 September 2025
The Leighton Library has a 1698 First Edition of "A defence of dramatick poetry : being a review of Mr. Collier's View of the immorality and profaneness of the stage" by Edward Filmer, Thomas Rymer and Elkanah Settle, about the views of English theatre critic, non-juror bishop and theologian Jeremy Collier, born #OnThisDay 23 September 1650.
In 1698, Jeremy Collier published “A Short View of the Immorality and Profaneness of the English Stage,” accusing popular plays of being vulgar, sinful, and corrupting. He was especially upset about sexual innuendo, disrespect toward clergy, and what he saw as bad moral influence.
In the history of English drama, Jeremy Collier is known for his anti-theatrical attack on the comedy of the 1690s. At the start of the English Civil War in 1642 theatres were closed and in 1647 a law was passed to punish anyone who participated in or viewed drama. After the war, under Oliver Cromwell, heavy restrictions were placed on entertainment and entertainment venues that were perceived as being pagan or immoral.
This rebuttal book was like a fiery group chat from the Restoration era - where playwrights and critics clap back at a moral watchdog who tried to cancel theatre. The three defenders of drama argued that theatre is not inherently immoral. They claimed that plays can teach, entertain, and reflect human nature, and that Collier’s attack was too harsh and simplistic.
